Royal Ballet School (RBS) has made three new appointments to its Board of Governors, welcoming SARAH DORFMAN, EDWARD WATSON and ALISTAIR SUMMERS.
An arts philanthropist, Dorfman has supported several cultural organisations, including The Royal Ballet, the Royal Opera House, the Royal Academy of Dance, English National Ballet and Northern Ballet. She has been involved with the RBS since 2006, first as a donor before joining the School’s Development Committee.
Dorfman previously sat on the board from 2012, becamimg Deputy Chair in 2019, and retirin in March 2021.
Former Principal dancer of The Royal Ballet, Watson started his ballet training with RBS. He joined The Royal Ballet in 1994, was promoted to Principal in 2005 and was appointed Répétiteur in 2020.
He became a Guest Répétiteur this year, working with The Royal Ballet and other dance companies internationally.
Summers is a Chartered Accountant and Partner at Summers & Co. He has served as a trustee for The Prince’s Trust and The King’s Trust International (formerly Prince’s Trust International), the National Youth Theatre, St Paul’s School Barnes, Henrietta Barnett School, Royal Free Charity and the Accelerate and Access Foundation.
Summer was the founding Chair of the risk and audit committees of The Prince’s Trust and The King’s Trust International (formerly Prince’s Trust International) and was previously Deputy Chair at both St Paul’s School and the National Youth Theatre.
ANNA BIRKETT, Interim Chair of The Royal Ballet School, said the new appointments all bring “valuable experience and expertise, each sharing our ambition of enhancing the School's position at the forefront of artistic training in classical ballet while ensuring its operational and financial sustainability for the future.”
She continued: “Together with our existing Governors, they will play a crucial role in driving the School’s artistic, educational, student welfare, financial and development agendas as we approach our second century.”